{20 trader joe’s products i’m obsessed with}

My love for Trader Joe’s is so deep that I am willing to endure the most irritating parking lot situation in grocery store history. Everyone’s shopped at Trader Joe’s at least once, right? TJ’s features a wide array of foods at low prices. It’s my go-to spot for everything from healthy (and not so healthy) snacks, pantry staples, cheese….just wait till you lay eyes on the massive selection.

Shopping here makes me feel healthy. LOL. Sounds so dumb, but I’m just being honest. I feel good about myself when I walk through the doors. The genuine workers, cleanliness and fab prices don’t hurt either. Little does anyone know, I’m mainly there for the flowers, cheese and carbs….maybe something organic. Sometimes.

I first hit the stems. Aka gorgeous, I want to take them all, flower section. They place this display, right smack dab in the center of the entrance. Knowing B’s can’t contain themselves over all the beautiful varieties. I probably spend the most time here. Debating which ones will come home. Even though they are a whopping $3.50, a lot of times, I even grab two and decide when it’s time to check out.

Next, the produce aisle. I have to admit – the pre-packaged shit isn’t that cool, but I buy it because it says “gluten-free,” “organic” or even “vegan” Remember, I’m feeling pretty good about myself at this point.

Next up, the damn sample counter where a sweet old lady is slangin melt in yo mouth goodies. And you’ve got to try it, or you’d be fucking rude. Duh! Next you scour the store, searching for a package of said free sample that you really don’t need at all. Chances are, it’s going to sit in your freezer for the next two months before you even pop it in the oven.

Then you stumble upon the freezer section. This is where the not-so-healthy comes into play. Cookie butter ice cream. Mac and Cheese Bites. Mandarin Orange Chicken. Chocolate Croissants. It’s a lazy asses paradise. Any and everything you can pop in the microwave. I try to close my eyes as I make my way down this aisle.

Before you know it you’re in the snacky stuff. Lots of gems down these last two aisles. Peanut butter stuffed pretzels. 21 Seasoning Salute. Polenta. Packages nuts. Veggie straws.

Last, but definitely not least…the booze. Two Buck Chuck might have been the wine that made Trader Joe’s famous, but it’s no longer the biggest draw. Let’s cut the crap, Charles Shaw is just not that good. Like at all. Spend the extra five bucks and grab a bottle of Bogle and call it a day. Your headache will thank you in the morning:) They do carry lots of great bubbles + chards. When in doubt, grab a cute bottle. At least, that’s what I do.

20 Trader Joe’s Products I’m Obsessed With:

Basil – I grab a box every single time…no matter what. $2.99 and you get more than enough to make a batch of pesto.

Pizza Dough – Made fresh daily (yes, you heard me right) and comes in three varieties. Plain, Garlic Herb + Whole Wheat. The dough is soft and easy to use. Just add your toppings and cook.

Almond Mozzarella Shreds – You probably already heard me ramble about this new treasure last week {friday 5} I’m slightly obsessed. I used this cheese in a quiche this morning – amazing!!

Feta – I used to only buy crumbled feta in the container, until I met the brick of feta. It’s pure cheese happiness. Try it, it’s so much better.

Dover Sole – After reading this blog post here, I once again, headed to TJ’s to grab some of this fish. I followed the recipe with lemon pepper + olive oil + panko breadcrumbs. Light and delish.

Pork Tenderloin – I hate the pre-seasoned packaged tenderloin. They are always over salted. Not sure why I only buy these at TJ’s as they sell them at every grocery store, but I do, and that’s all I have to say about that 🙂

Organic Brown Rice – HUGE time saver. Frozen brown rice, conveniently packaged in 3 (2-cup pouches). Just microwave for 3 minutes to prepare. Brown rice takes FOREVER, so to me this is maj. Sometimes I add cilantro and lime or add to a stir fry.

Chicken Taquitos – Didn’t we all grown up eating taquitos? I sure did. I recommend baking in the oven, although they have microwave directions…..but I think it makes them mushy. Check out this recipe – TJ’s Taquito-lada Casserole. OMG!

Cookie Butter Ice Cream begins as humble-yet-rich vanilla ice cream, carefully crafted using fresh cream from the Midwestern United States and Madagascar vanilla extract. Pieces of Belgian Speculoos cookies are blended into the ice cream, and then comes the pièce de résistance, the not-so-secret ingredient that makes all of our ice cream wishes come true – a ribbon of Trader Joe’s Speculoos Cookie Butter. This is a masterwork of ice cream craftsmanship, a miracle of milk transformation.

Cookie Butter – One of TJ’s most famous items. It makes Nutella look like an amateur. This famous concoction comes in Cookie butter, which tastes like peanut butter, nutella, and cookie dough all wrapped into one. The Chunky version that had actual crumbs of ginger snaps. Or the Cocoa swirl, which is Bailey’s dream come true. It’s exactly what it sounds like.

Lemon Sparkling Mineral Water – I pack one in my lunchbox every day. I look forward to this afternoon snack to switch it up from plain water.

Peeps post the newest, greatest TJ’s finds. Then I hop in my car and drive to Davis to scout it out. Unfortunately, I’ve had to learn the hard way, every TJ’s is NOT the same. Same in the sense they look-alike and carry “like” items. Notice I said “like” items. Davis does NOT carry the refrigerated roasted sweet potato wedges that I so dearly needed in my life a couple of weeks ago. Only the East Coast stores….what the F? Then I reminded myself, if you live near a TJ’s, you have truly hit the jackpot. There are over 470 TJ’s stores, approximately half of which are in California (told you, jackpot). With the heaviest concentration in Southern California. I ran into a lady the other day that drove over one hour to shop at the Davis TJ’s. I looked at her like she was cray cray. Too bad they don’t ship Cookie Butter and Two Buck Chuck (she had a cart load full) to save this poor lady some gas $$$.